Polène Debuts Glass Sculptures By Chinese Artist Jinya Zhao

Chinese glass artist Jinya Zhao and the Uzlo sculpture commissioned by Polène. Milos Gazdic/Courtesy of Polène

Creating an aesthetic world around its leather goods brand, Polène has launched a new collaboration with the Chinese glass artist Jinya Zhao.

The collaboration, the third for the brand, features a geometric sculpture made from blown glass and leather off-cuts called Uzlo, which was derived from the word “puzzle,” in reference to the object’s interlocking shape.

The blown glass, crafted in a studio run by Zhao and two skilled craftsmen in Jingdezhen, China‘s ceramics capital in Jiangxi Province, is designed so that its colors interact like watercolor on paper, which is a major theme explored in Zhao’s glasswork.

To create the lamp-like shape, Zhao designed a metal mold that shaped the molten glass at the right temperature. Pigmentation and diamond polishing then give the glassworks a frosted look. The central sphere, round support plates and wooden domes that connect the glassware are covered with leather off-cuts from Polène’s leather studio.

“One of the biggest challenges was to maintain its uniform shape. Molding simplicity with glass is not simple,” said Zhao, who shared that the average failure rate — such as the appearance of bubbles — hovers around 50 percent.

The sculpture comes in two colors — lavender and amber — and each has a limited-edition run of 150. Priced at $550, the works are available to purchase on the Polène website.

Jinya Zhao's glass sculptures for Polène. — Jinya Zhao’s glass sculptures for Polène. Courtesy of Polène

Based between Jingdezhen and London, Zhao studied at the renowned China Academy of Art in Hangzhou and later at London’s Royal College of Art, before discovering glassmaking in Shandong. At the time, the third-tier city of Zibo was home to China’s only independent glassblowing studio.

In an effort to boost Jingdezhen’s diverse craftsmanship ecosystem, the local government invited the Zibo studio to set up shop in the Southern Chinese hub three years ago.

Here, Zhao evolved her work from strictly geometric and symmetrical shapes to expressive curvatures that explore the transformative quality of glass — one that evoke visceral emotions and bodily movement.

Based on abstract drawings, Zhao characterizes her work as “a diary-like exploration of emotions.” “It’s also about memory, my growing appreciation of nature, and the sense of space created by the glass,” Zhao said.

Zhao’s works have been shown internationally, and in 2022 the Victoria & Albert Museum acquired one of her pieces. She will also be featured in the museum’s upcoming exhibition “Dimensions: Contemporary Chinese Studio Crafts,” the first major survey of Chinese studio craft since the 1980s.

Under the “Plèi” banner, Polène has previously commissioned the Japanese millinery atelier Mobje to create a woven vase, followed by a mirror with leather and cotton cording by the French designer Wendy Andreu.